Repurposed Glass, Stone, Plastic and Shell REBEAD Bracelets
Fashion writer turned jewelry maker Ryan Matthew’s debut collection
While scavenging through a thrift store in Greenwich Village, Ryan Matthew became transfixed by several plastic beaded bracelets. It wasn’t the complete product that he found alluring, but the individual components. Matthew purchased the tired, older pieces and brought them home. Shortly thereafter, REBEAD was born. Matthew began to source other components—repurposed glass and wood beads, shells and stones. Through careful consideration and hand-assembly, his first collection of bracelets was born.
“Bracelets like these—colorful, representative of so many textures and materials—delighted us as children,” he explains to CH. “But I wanted to create a modern day version; to be thoughtful and socially responsible along the way.” With forthcoming drops, Matthew intends to donate a share of the proceeds to charities surrounding plastics pollution—and he foresees REBEAD as an organization that will host workshops and events on exploring creativity, too.
You can explore that first collection, Chakra Candy, online now.
Images courtesy of REBEAD
